Wagering activities remain largely forbidden in Singapore following the passage of the Gambling Control Act, the legislation aimed at regulating gambling in the country.
In a move to update and strengthen its wagering laws, Singapore has passed the Gambling Control Act 2022. This act aims to regulate and restrict online gambling within the country, following a similar approach taken by neighbouring Southeast Asian nations.
The new legislation effectively bans all forms of online gambling, with the exception of a select few licensed properties. Proxy gambling, where bets are placed in a regulated casino via a third party, has been criminalized, and any individual acting as a proxy for online gambling within Singapore will be penalized by law enforcement, regardless of the location of the provider.
The penalties for transgressing gambling laws have been made more severe, with some offenses carrying custodial sentences. This is part of Singapore's efforts to maintain control and restriction over wagering activities while generating revenue from the industry.
The search results do not provide specific information about which online gambling games are licensed and legal to play in Singapore under the new 2022 legislation. However, it is clear that the act further restricts unlicensed wagering within the country.
Interestingly, the act recognizes shifts in global gambling habits, including the use of digital technologies and practices. It introduces a new legal definition for betting and wagering, encompassing digital technologies, reflecting the evolving nature of the gambling industry.
On the other hand, Malaysia permits some online gambling, but only for non-Malaysian visitors. Vietnam has been reluctant to adopt online gambling regulation, only permitting physical casino gambling for its own citizens as recently as 2018.
Looking back, Kai Tak in Hong Kong was once a popular destination for gambling. For 9-year-old Eddy Cheung, who returned to the city when he turned 21, the memory of Kai Tak was not embellished.
The government of Singapore previously cracked down on unlicensed online wagering in August 2015, blocking access to certain providers like Bet365. In 2020, Cambodia ended the licensing of online casino gambling, a program that had only been introduced five years earlier.
It is expected that online gambling in Southeast Asia is not likely to undergo rapid changes in legal status in the near future. The region's governments are focusing on finding a balance between generating revenue and maintaining control and restriction over wagering activities.
In a positive note, social gambling in a non-commercial physical environment has been legalized under the act, providing an avenue for casual wagering activities among friends.
The potential for legal online gambling remains extremely limited in Singapore, but the Gambling Control Act 2022 sets a clear path for the regulation of the industry in the future.
